“Can’t put a stain on the name of BTS”: j-hope talks about Lollapalooza debut

As BTS, j-hope has made history multiple times. As Jung Ho-seok, or just j-hope, he did so on July 31 when he became the first South Korean artist to headline the Lollapalooza music festival. The 28-year-old rapper, singer, and song-writer knew the importance behind the concert as he represented not only himself but the phenomenal K-pop septet.

The Jack in the Box rapper hopped on V LIVE to meet ARMYs soon after his Lollapalooza performance. While talking about it, he gave fans a few insights into his practice schedule and the responsibilities he carried on his shoulders.

“I’m really grateful. I practiced every day for six hours. It’s an important performance, and I can’t put a stain on the name of BTS with such a big performance as BTS’ j-hope.”

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BTS’ j-hope calls Lollapalooza debut “meaningful” and the opportunity to perform “an honor”

28-year-old Jung Ho-seok, aka j-hope, performed at the Lollapalooza event held in Chicago in front of thousands of concert-goers. The K-pop idol also became the highest-selling artist of the event. The festival was meaningful for the Jack in the Box rapper as it gave him the opportunity to make his mark on non-ARMYs too.

The Hope World rapper headlined the event, performing for over an hour. His setlist included songs not just from his latest release, but from his previous solo mixtapes too.

Towards the end of his performance, he shared that Lollapalooza was the grand finale of his solo album and added that the festival made him more confident.

“Today is a meaningful moment for me. This is just part of the process of an album that started with greed and ambition reaching a grand finale. Through this album, all my scheduled activities benefited me, and I gained certainty once again while partaking in Lollapalooza and seeing everyone.”

The rapper also thanked the audience for their support throughout his set. He also modestly complimented himself on his performance.

“Thank you to everyone who came. It’s an honor. This is a bit embarrassing, but I would like to say that I am proud of myself for overcoming this moment.”

Dubbed Hobipalooza by fans, many shared that it seemed more like the K-pop idol’s solo concert than a music festival. Starting with his latest release Jack in the Box, the idol moved on to past hits such as the Hope World album, Chicken Noodle Soup with Becky G, and even group songs such as Cypher Pt. 1 and Dynamite remix.

The audience also witnessed a more mature side of BTS’ sunshine rapper. He was dressed in an all-black outfit with long wavy hair and black nail polish. He did not shy away from using some expletives during the set.

Moreover, group mate Jimin was also in the audience supporting j-hope. He was captured dancing during the Outro: EGO performance. The 28-year-old rapper later mentioned that he was “in a dark world” when preparing for Lollapalooza but Jimin became his light and played a big, supportive role.

j-hope recently appeared on IU’s Palette and ZICO’s Give me a Minute as part of his Jack in the Box album promotions.